What to try this weekend: Gluten-free vegan churros with a caramel dipping sauce

Churros

Makes 12 large churros

Ingredients

For the caramel dipping sauce

• 30g coconut sugar
• 65g tinned coconut cream
• 1/2 tsp ground sea salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the churros

• 60g rapadura sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground sea salt
• 30g coconut oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 215g gluten-free plain (all-purpose) flour
• 1 tsp psyllium husk
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 70g coconut milk chocolate, melted, to serve

Method

1. For the dipping sauce, mix the coconut sugar, coconut cream and sea salt in a small saucepan over a low heat, frequently stirring to dissolve the sugar. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla, mixing well. Set aside to cool.
2. For the churros, preheat the oven to 200ºC (180ºC fan). Line a large 38cm x 25cm baking tray with baking paper.
3. In a medium saucepan over a low heat stir 250ml water, 30g of the sugar and the salt until they have dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the coconut oil and vanilla, mixing well. Add the flour and psyllium husk and stir until combined.
4. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag with a large star tip. Pipe long strips of dough onto your prepared baking tray, leaving a 3cm space between each churro. You can pipe the churros to be as long as you like – get creative!
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the churros are nicely puffed and golden.
6. Combine the remaining sugar and ground cinnamon in a sealable bag and shake to combine. Put the churros one by one inside the bag and shake to evenly coat. Serve immediately alongside the caramel dipping sauce and melted chocolate.

Extracted from The Healthy Convert by Nicole Maree (Hardie Grant). Photography by Elisa Watson.